need help, no start!

OK, so the car quit on me AGAIN. it ran for a week almost to the HOUR that i changed the distributor.
here's the deal:
NO CODES PULLED
COIL IS GOOD (tried 2 of em, tested resistance etc. no problems)
CHANGED IGNITER with one of my friend's and still didnt fire
CHANGED DISTRIBUTOR and it worked for a week.

i dont know how to test the pickup coil in the distributor but I have a funny feeling the one i pulled last week will be good still.

it's an 88 165 with stock ignition. Getting no spark. getting power to the igniter, and power to the coil.

anyways, i would love to hear ANY and ALL suggestions because i'm at wit's end.

thanks!

Check your igniter ground. this happened to me after i did my swap...it wouldnt start, same symptoms.
take off the igniter, and unscrew it from its bracket, clean any and all rust or paint off of the bracket, and make sure it has a good contact with the igniter and with the firewall, and bolt it back in. see if that works. also check your engine ground to the left of the alternator.

Ok, good point. i cleaned the contact points between the bracket/igniter/firewall the firewall had lots of paint on it. i tested the voltage there first, very poor ground. i also checked the ground at the coil, also very poor. cleaned all that up, now i get good grounds

but it still won't spark!

aaarrrrrrrgggggggggghhhhhhh

sorry.

**UPDATE**

The car started. dont know why. borrowed my friend's igniter and now it works on my car. (before car would not start with either igniter).
RE-tested the coil, resistance is right on spec

so i know it's not igniter now
i dont think it is coil
distributor has been replaced.

i dunno, i hate intermittent problems!

it also takes a bunch more turns to start than usual, like it's struggling to create a good spark at first? i dont know. it looks bright white/blue when i test it now. before it was making no spark.

dont know what else i can check

check connections at the engine fuse box, wiggle the wiring with car running to see if you can make it stall. have seen numerous problems in that area, with loose connections. pay special attention to the efi relay wires, and the relay itself.

good luck

mike

I have the same problem with mine. I got it started by jumping it. I took it to autozone or anyone that will check the alternator and it was bad. So check that it could be your ticket.

nah, that's not it. alternator is charging fine, it's rebuilt less than a year ago. it has different symptoms than that anyways...

thanx though.

i think it may have been connections somewhere i fiddled around with the wiring trying to push everything into the fuse panels and stuff and it hasnt done it since. but i'm out of commission for a while now, so who knows if it's solved. i'll find out next year... unless i go with an aftermarket EMS and rewire everything. :shoots:

hey 1stgenalltrac this is a common problem for all st165's and its even happend to me this is how you fix it http://celica.net/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cg ... 2;t=002281

"I went through the same dilemma for over a year, had 3 starters, new battery, new alternator, still would not start especially when it was hot. The starter would click but not turn over. The problem was the small wire going to the starter. As these cars age, there is a build up of resistance from all the lengths that small wire goes from clutch switches, relays, etc..etc..... The solution is to go get yourself a 12V relay and wire it up in the engine compartment. The relay acts as a power booster for that small wire going to the starter, your car will start like never before. My car starts so strong now that it is funny. The wiring diagram available at the12volt.com, goes like this Connect terminal #87 to 12 volt constant, #85 to ground, terminal #86 to the ignition side of the small wire, and terminal #30 to starter. - 88gts"

its a quick 20 dollar fix :wink: